I've Moved House - Come On Over and Visit!

Hi, If you would like to stayed tuned to my blog, I have moved house!

I've Moved!

You can now find me at my new Wordpress site. Just click on the hyperlink to take you there!

My latests blogs - You Just Can't Do It All; Finding the Hidden Profits in Your Salon and Check and Correct, are ready and waiting for you to read.

See you soon!


Wishing you prosperity and success Pam

9 Big Reasons Why You Should Avoid Staff Training in Your Salon

Training your staff could have a serious impact on your bank balance

When I speak to my clients about the need for ongoing staff training, I often hear "I hate spending the money to hold staff training, because eventually they will leave and I have wasted my money"

While this may sound like valid reasoning to some, I wonder if much thought has been given to the repercussions of continuing to think along these lines.


So, here are my (tongue in cheek) 9 TOP reasons why you should never train your staff:

9. Well trained staff generate substantially more income through effective, relationship building retail sales.  I can certainly understand why you wouldn't want that! All those extra retail sales mean you will never be off the phone, ordering more stock...now that's a pain!

8. Well trained staff generate substantially more income through up-selling of services and elimination of gaps in the appointment book.  That's a real problem.  When will there be time for coffee and chatting in the lunch room?       

7. Well trained staff deliver substantially better customer service.  That's just scary.  Now all those customers you have spent so much money on attracting will actually want to come back and spend more money!

6. Well trained staff stay longer in their jobs. This is a real problem for those of you who love spending time and money on recruitment and new employee training and indoctrination.  Not to mention having to keep all those customers who leave when their personal technician leaves your salon.

5. Well trained staff are happier and more motivated in their jobs.  This can be downright depressing if you enjoy working in a tense and moody environment every day! Happy people can be so depressing to be around.

4. Well trained staff retain more clients.  So what are you supposed to do with all those cash generating, extra clients coming in? Sounds like a problem to me.

3. Well trained staff get more personal referrals.  That's a problem too - even more clients wanting to spend their money in your business.  Where will it all end?

2. Well trained staff get better rebooking percentages.  If those clients keep coming back regularly, you are going to be forced to hire more staff and you know what that means!

And last but not least

1. Well trained staff work more efficiently.  You know what this means.  More work, more money and then. in the blink of an eye, you have a tax problem to deal with!

I hope you enjoyed my tongue in cheek list of why you should never train your staff and would like to finish this post by sharing one of my favourite quotes with you.

"There is only one thing worse than training staff and having them leave and this is it..... NOT TRAINING THEM AND HAVING THEM STAY!"

Wishing you prosperity and success
Pam
Photo by Idea Go

Shotgun Marketing - Blasting Holes in Your Bank Balance

What I am about to say will upset some salon owners....get ready for it......contrary to common belief, not all advertising is good advertising! 

When times are tough, and let's face it, they are pretty tough right now,
it is vital to make your advertising dollars work harder for you than ever before.

Gimme all your money!

Shotgun marketing, as the name implies, relies on shooting out many many pellets of advertising material as you can afford to to try and reach as many people as possible.  This approach might be useful for a start-up business that needs to make its local market aware of its existence but after that, it is just too scattered to make the kind of impact that is needed to build an existing business.

Here's somthing you really need to know and embrace....not everyone wants to be your client.  Savvy salon owners appreciate this and spend their precious advertising dollars only in ways that will reach the kind of people who are likely to come in and spend.  In most cases, that is to their own database or to people who are very much like the ones who are already purchasing from you.
 

Do you know who these people are and more importantly, are you making them the target of your marketing efforts?

Next time you are approached by people asking you to advertise in their magazine, newsletter, internet listing etc and so on, ask yourself some important questions first before you sign on the dotted line.

• Am I getting this message to my target market (my clients or those people just like them) or am I spending a lot of money advertising to people who just aren't interested in what I am selling?
• Is the money I am about to spend going to be a good investment and achieve the desired outcome?  Am I going to see a substantial return on my investment and how can I measure the results?
• How could I refine my marketing, spend less money and reach the people who are most likely to buy my product?

Perhaps it's time to re-focus your approach to marketing in 2011 to ensure that every dollar you spend from this point forward creates maximum impact with your target market.

Wishing you prosperity and success
Pam

Photo by Boaz Yiftach

Are You ReferringTo Me?

Are you great at what you do?

If you know you are, do you ever wonder why you are not getting more clients who refer their friends and family to you?

Well...are you?

The answer is quite simple really.

People are L.A.Z.Y.  Yes, it's true.  Why should your clients bother to refer you to anyone?  They pay you well for doing what you do so what gives you the right to expect any more?

The truth of the matter is, most people walk around day after day, asking themselves the same question.  That question is "What's in it for me?".

It goes like this,"What's in it for me if I go to work today?...oh, I'll get paid and won't lose my job", or "what's in it for me if I do something nice for the boss?...oh, she might do something nice for me down the track", and of course "what's in it for me if I tell all my friends about my fabulous new salon? oh....nothing"

Are you starting to get my drift?  How is your client going to benefit from giving you a referral?  What is in it for them?

This is a good question to ask yourself .  What can you give to your clients to make it worth their while to refer you to friends and family.

You tell me!


Wishing you prosperity and success
Pam

Photo by Michele Meiklejohn

Go away....Leave me Alone!

Stop annoying your clients!

This morning I was reviewing a discussion in a writing group at Linkedin that I joined a while back.

As I was scrolling down the messages that various people had left, I came across one from a gentleman who had had enough.  He was angry, frustrated and lashing out.  Why?  Because he was sick of being bombarded with useless information....too much spam and unwanted content sneaking into his life in the guise of helpful communication.  He was angry and he was letting the world (and the spammer) know about it.

This got me thinking about the kind of content you may be sending to your clients and what impact it may be having on your relationship with them.

Is it content that is meaningful to you or meaningful to your clients?

Now, don't get me wrong, I believe in quality communication with your client base and I believe it should be on a regular basis.  But.....it has to be content that is valuable to your clients.

Bombarding your clients with annoying sales pitches that will only benefit your bottom line will no doubt have them racing to click on their unsubscribe button, but worse still could irreparably damage the relationship you have worked so hard to develop

So what should you send to your clients?  That is pretty easy to figure out.  It's the same stuff you like to get.

Special offers and great tips that your clients can use to make their lives better and easier in some way.

So stop bombarding your clients with pushy, salesy newsletters and emails.  Start communicating in a way that will help to further build your relationship and keep your clients wanting more and looking forward to your next fabulous newsletter and special offer....just for them!

Wishing you prosperity and success
Pam

Getting Your Staff to Sell, Sell and Sell Some More!

Getting staff to sell is literally a huge pain in the butt for most salon owners.  Are you one of them?
Would you like your staff to sell more product and make more money for your salon?  I can almost see you nodding your head as you read this blog!
It is possible and you can do it - but like most worthwhile things in life, you have to put in a little effort to reap a great reward.

Your staff can sell more retail but they need your help!

Resistance to selling by salon staff is not big news. It seems to be a common problem suffered by most salons but can we simply just place all the blame on the shoulders of those we employ?
Of course the answer is a simple but emphatic "NO".


Why won't they sell?
After surveying many salon teams about this situation, I have come up with a few reasons that really stand out from the rest.  They are:

• They don't want to feel that they are being pushy with their clients
• They don't want to risk losing their friendly relationship
• They don't think that their clients can afford a service and retail at the same time
• They think that the clients will like them better if they don't try to sell them anything
• They don't really believe that the products are worth the money being asked for them
• They don't really have enough knowledge about the products to make a good recommendation
• They don't get rewarded for making additional sales
• They don't get enought external motivation on a daily basis to keep selling
• They don't have time to recommend retail between services, and the biggy is
• They don't want to face REJECTION from their clients.

What can you do about it?
Lots!
There is not just one answer to cover all the reasons why your staff are not selling as much retail as they could.  Each of the reasons I have listed above is valid in the eyes of your staff and therefore each one needs to be dealt with and a solution found.
I believe it is important to begin by changing the mindset that your staff have around selling, first and formost. Until this happens, no amount of sales tips and techniques training is going to improve your sales for more than a few days. 

Action Plan
Try listing out all the reasons why your staff are not selling as much as they could be, and then begin to think about what you can do to overcome each problem area. Why not ask them to participate in this process so that you can achieve greater buy in from your team
At your next team meeting try asking them to tell you about the great benefits that can be achieved for the client, the salon and most importantly for themselves when a client is equipped with the right products to achieve a fantastic long term result.  Lets face it, clients want to look and feel great for longer than a few days after they have been to your salon....don't they?

Zig Ziglar said: People often say, "Zig motivation is great, but it does not last." I just tell them, Bathing does not last either, that is why I recommend it daily.
If you would like to know more about improving your teams sales results, grab a copy of my new book 3 1/2 Secrets to Salon Success

Wishing you prosperity and success in 2011
Pam

Photographer: Idea Go

35 Strategies for a Happier Team

 Every employer knows that when you have your staff on board 100% and sharing your vision, then day to day activities just seem to go a whole lot smoother. Not only do you want your valuable staff to turn up to work everyday but you need them to love to come to work.

Illustration by REnjith Krishnan

Why is that so important?

It’s because when your staff love their job, it’s going to show in lots of different ways. It will most assuredly affect every facet of your business from customer service right through to improved quality of production and services and what that inevitably results in is higher profitability for your business. More satisfied customers generally always results in better business through repurchasing and referrals.
So, what can you do to make your staff feel this way? It’s very simple really but you do have to make the effort initially to introduce some of these truly simple concepts into your workplace. The results will be well worth the effort.
So, when was the last time you really thought about what your staff have to do in their jobs. When did you last put yourself in their shoes and try to understand what their life is really like?
Here are some really simple and exceptionally inexpensive ways for you to let your staff know that they are truly appreciated and part of your special team. Start implementing them today and watch the transformation happen in your team!

1. Get to know your staff and what excites them
2. Ask your staff about their aspirations and expectations.  Be interested in what matters to them.
3. Make sure your staff know what is expected of them.  Communicate well and often.
4. Find out what kind of training your staff would like to undertake and make it happen if you can. There is nothing worse than a staff member who is not trained and decides to stay in your employ.
5. Make sure your staff have all the tools that they need to do a really great job.  Poor tools results in poor results.
6. Ensure that their work is as interesting as possible by providing variety, increased responsibility, involvement in special projects or cross-training.
7. Never make a promise you cannot or will not keep. You will destroy the trust in your relationship.
8. Really listen (that means shutting upfor a minute) when they are speaking and ask good questions to show that you heard what they said.
9. Make team meetings fun and ask your staff to bring along some good ideas. Have team members chair the meetings and provide some team training.
10. Don’t make team meetings a time to dread for staff. Stay positive and never publicly criticise
11. Say “yes” as often as possible. Be receptive to new ideas and be enthusiastic
12. Encourage humour, laughter and an atmosphere of success in the work place.
13. Ask for their ideas and input across all aspects of salon management. Staff who have ownership of new ideas will embrace them with enthusiasm
14. Never criticise one staff member in front of another. Always encourage positive comments. This is team building not team destruction.
15. If staff are underperforming, find out what the real problem is and fix it
16. Say hello every morning when they arrive at work.
17. Say thankyou every day before they go home.
18. When staff bring you a problem, ask them to come up with their own solutions to overcome dependence
19. Reward staff performance with something that matters to them
20. Empower your staff to make great decisions. Train them in how to do this.
21. Send a birthday card to their home and include a handwritten message.
22. Organise a small birthday celebration amongst their peers and provide a cake!
23. When they’re angry, let them vent. Ask them what they think could be done to make things right.
24. Develop a social club or regular get togethers outside of work ( there is always a staff member who will love to set up and run a social club)
25. Take every opportunity to tell them when they have done a great job. You team will want to live up to the higher standard that they have set.
26. Let them teach you something.  You’ll be surprised at what they know!
27. Respect them and their time
28. Be understanding when your staff are having a bad day.  After all, we are all human.
29. Ask your staff for their feedback as often as possible.  Make them feel like their thoughts matter
30. Stay flexible. No one is right all the time.
31. Ask for their opinion when there is a problem and don’t rubbish what they think
32. If you are wrong, always say “sorry”
33. Make yourself available to them at all times
34. Lead by example. If you want your staff to have integrity they must see it in you 100% of the time
35. Smile….it’s contagious!

A favourite quote….

“We must become the change we want to see” Mahatma Gandhi
Wishing you prosperity and success  in 2011
Pam

Have You Got a Minute?

Photo by Salvatore Vuono

May I ask you a very quick question?

What can you do in just 1 minute each day that will profoundly affect your business profitability?

Well you won't have the time to do your business plan, design a marketing promotion or even make a cup of coffee.   What you can do however, is take one minute to say "thank you, I appreciate your effort" to the people who are driving your business.

You know the people I am talking about.  They are the ones that come into the salon every day, greet your clients, provide fantastic services, sell your retail product, clean the salon rooms and floors, take the payments.....amongst many other things!

Yes, I am talking about your team members.  These are the people who can make or break your business and without their support and focussed effort, you could find yourself in deep doo doo.

I have yet to meet a single team member from any salon that does not appreciate being thanked for their effort and support.  When you take one minute to show your appreciation for the support that they give you, the team member who is receiving your thanks will feel valued and know that you have noticed their efforts. This in turn will result in that person making a greater effort so that the praise continues.  After all, who doesn't like  to feel appreciated and be thanked by their boss?

Recently, when I shared this thought with a salon owner, she said to me "But Pam, one of my girls is so terrible that I really haven't got any idea what I could thank her for".  After a few minutes of brainstorming the best she could come up with was to thank her for turning up each day...and so that is just what she did.  The funny thing is, that particular staff member was so surprised to be receiving a thank you instead of being scolded for doing things badly, that it had an even greater impact on her desire to improve. 

My point here is, by simply focussing on what is being done well, instead of only focussing on what is being done poorly, we encourage those around us to strive to reach higher personal standards.

So, think about taking a leaf out of this salon owners book, and find something every day to praise each of your team members for and see how this impacts on their productivity in your salon (even if it is simply turning up to work!)




Wishing you prosperity and success in 2011
Pam

Plan for Success in 2011

 You will have definitely heard the saying "Failure to plan is planning to fail" and it's too true.  Salon owners, from my experience, are generally wonderful and caring people with loads of talent and optimism but generally they are pretty reluctant to sit down and PLAN for their future business success.

image by jscreations

 
Before you can start out on your journey to business prosperity, you need to know what route to take to get you there as quickly and efficiently as possible.  This means creating a plan for success.

Let me ask you a few questions to help you get your plan started for 2011.

1. How much profit (after your wages) do you want your salon to make in 2011? Be precise here, is it $25K, $50K or more?
2. After adding your projected expenses back on to this figure, what turnover does your salon need to achieve.....exact amounts here please?
3. Ok, now that you know how much your salon needs to take, what does that break down into as a weekly figure. 
4. Great, now you have some idea of what your salon needs to be taking every week to meet your financial goals.  The next question is, how are you going to achieve this?
5. Here are some things that you can ask yourself to get started:
1. Is it time to have a price increase on services and if so how much should it be considering the cost of providing each service?
2. Am I ready to retail a more profitable line of product where I can earn more dollars per sale?
3. Is my roster aligned properly to the amount of work coming into my salon or do I need to measure this more closely to find out?
4. Are there better, more profitable services I could be offering to my clients?
5. Is it time to train my staff in better retail and service upselling techniques?
6. Can I possibly reduce my overheads and do a better deal on most of my expenses?
7. How can I retain my clients more effectively and therefore save tons of money on expensive and mostly unnecessary marketing campaigns?
8. Are all of my staff rebooking each and every client before they leave the salon?

Now this list is not comprehensive by a long shot, but it will give you a starting point for your 2011 business plan.

If you would like help to plan your year, please give me a call or send me an email to discuss how you can become more profitable this year.


Wishing you prosperity and success for 2011
Pam